Report: Freddy Sanchez to Start Year on DL; Nowhere Close to Being Ready

San Francisco Giants' second baseman Freddy Sanchez will reportedly start the year on the disabled list, but even worse news for the Giants is that it appears Sanchez is nowhere close to suiting up and taking his place at second base for this team.

CBS Sports' Jon Heyman confirmed the speculated news that Sanchez was DL-bound on Thursday, and it appears Sanchez' shoulder that was injured last season has not progressed to the extent that the Giants organization would have liked.

Sanchez has been limited to designated hitter duties so far, and has been extremely limited in the field in practice.

NBC Hardball Talk's D.J. Short reported earlier this week that not only is Sanchez going to start the season on the DL, but that he is nowhere close to being able to fully play the field.

Freddy sanchez, whose shoulder hasnt responded as quickly as hoped, will begin year on disabled list. #SFGiants

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) March 29, 2012

This report was a long time coming, though.  Comcast SportsNet Bay Area's Andrew Baggarly gave us a hint as to the condition of Sanchez's shoulder nearly a week ago, but the report was merely Baggarly's speculation at the time.

The fact is Sanchez is obviously struggling out there.  It seems as though his progress with the injury while swinging at the plate is not the problem, but the throwing motion is.  The hardest part for a shoulder injury would be to throw across the body when turning a double play, and Sanchez cannot accomplish that without pain just yet.

So where does this leave the Giants?

At first glance, there would seem to be no problem with Sanchez starting the season the DL.  Emmanuel Burris is having a very nice Spring, showing speed and an actual ability to swing the bat.  With the Giants currently shopping Ryan Theriot and Mike Fontenot, Burris would appear to be a lock for the second base job on Opening Day.  

Judging by Sanchez's progress with that shoulder, Burris could be holding that position for much longer than expected.

A clear concern for San Francisco is that Burris has been able to hit at lesser levels in the organization.  It is when he finally achieves Major League status that his bat fails to produce.  He has speed on the base paths, but what the Giants need this season is his bat, especially if Sanchez is nowhere near playing the field just yet.

For now, maybe the Giants should hold off on trading Theriot and Fontenot.  They are simply utility players at this point in their careers, but they could fill a very large hole that the Giants now have at second base.

Of course, the hole is only as big as Burris makes, but judging by Burris' MLB career to this point, GM Brian Sabean may hold off on the infield trade market for now.

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San Francisco 49ers: Brandon Jacobs Was Team's Best Free Agent Acquisition This Offseason

As if the San Francisco 49ers could not do any more to bolster their already impressive offseason, they added a little depth to their backfield on Tuesday by signing running back Brandon Jacobs and making this team lethal in a variety of different aspects of their game.


The knock on the 49ers last season was in two categories -- succeeding in the red zone and converting on third down.  Both weaknesses can be attributed to quarterback Alex Smith, but equal weakness can be added to Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter, who were most often unlikely to grab the extra yardage or bust open big runs when the opposing team expected it and taking the pressure off Smith.

Now, the 49ers have added weapons on offense.  Instead of the pressure being on Smith to convert on third down or to lead a successful finish to a drive inside the red zone, the pressure will now be on the opposing defense.  Smith now has weapons in Randy Moss and Mario Manningham, along with Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis.  He also has Gore out of the backfield for quick passes for short gains.

Most notably, he now has Jacobs in the backfield for short yardage and red zone help that will ultimately take the pressure off of Smith.

The common misconception here is that because of his build, Jacobs is a great short-yardage runner.  However, he is not, and it should be noted that he has the running mechanics of an east and west runner, but with the physique of a north and south runner.  Although his build supports a successful short-yardage gain, his upright mechanics leave him susceptible to being tackled easily.

However, what many miss in this recent acquisition is that the 49ers are not asking Jacobs to run the bal 20 times a game.  In fact, San Francisco may not ask him to run the ball 10 times in one game.  Jacobs' goal while in San Francisco is to switch up the look on offense and convert when called upon.

The 49ers now have a moderate threat through the air with Moss, Manningham, Crabtree and Davis.  But they also have a hard-nosed runner in Gore and a physical runner in Jacobs to alternate carries.  The opposition now has just that one more aspect of the 49ers to game-plan for.

Another note: Jacobs and the 49ers are only committed to each other for one season.  Like the Moss acquisition, the benefits far outweigh the risks.

Ultimately, the goal of the 49ers this offseason was to take the pressure off of Smith.  Gore is not a player that can take over games by himself.  He needs a clear mix of pass and rush on offense in order for him to be successful.  GM Trent Baalke acquired two of the best wide receivers on the free agent market and a running back that can take on the load when the 49ers come just that close to either the end zone or the first down marker.

There is no longer pressure for Smith to throw for 10 yards or more per play because he has Gore and Jacobs in the backfield with the ability to convert on short yardage when called upon.

The 49ers continue to upgrade their team from last season, and only a few weeks into next season should prove that Jacobs was the most-needed acquisition of them all.

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San Francisco Giants: A Look at the Projected 2012 Opening Day Lineup

It seems like so long ago now that the team is in Spring Training, but the San Francisco Giants had quite an offseason.

They traded away a promising pitcher in Jonathan Sanchez for speed and offense in Melky Cabrera, and they trade pitching relief and aging speed in Ramon Ramirez and Andres Torres for an iffy Angel Pagan.

The team did all that while hunting for just the right amount of money to lock up their two franchise starting pitchers for several years.  One was locked up, and the other's tenure in San Francisco is still hanging in the balance.


After all that, here is the projected Opening Day lineup for the Giants:

1)  Angel Pagan OF
2)  Melky Cabrera OF
3)  Pablo Sandoval 3B
4)  Buster Posey C
5)  Brandon Belt OF
6)  Aubrey Huff 1B
7)  Brandon Crawford SS
8)  Emmanuel Burris 2B
9)  Pitcher's spot

And what it should look like:

1)  Gregor Blanco OF
2)  Melky Cabrera OF
3)  Pablo Sandoval 3B
4)  Buster Posey C
5)  Brandon Belt OF
6)  Brett Pill 1B
7)  Brandon Crawford SS
8)  Emmanuel Burris 2B
9)  Pitcher's spot

Of course, Freddy Sanchez would assume the No. 2 spot in the batting order once he returns.  For now, it looks like we may be seeing a lot of Burris, who is having a tremendous Spring Training so far.  We should save our judgements about him until after the first week of the season, though, as he has yet to hit consistently when called up to the majors.

Another note is that Pagan should be nowhere near the Giants' Opening Day lineup, given his terrible hitting woes in Spring Training.  He just snapped an 0-24 streak at the plate on Tuesday.  However, his speed and the fact he was a notable offseason acquisition for this team means that he is dead-set to start in the outfield on Opening Day.

The man who should replace him is Gregor Blanco, who has had as good a Spring as any of the Giants.  We can make a great case that Blanco, Hector Sanchez and Cabrera have been the hottest players on the team in Spring Training.

For how many disagreements we all should have with the projected Opening Day lineup, it needs to be understood that this rsoter is so much more apt to putting up runs this season, as compared to last.  Of course, last season's lineup at year's end was historically unimpressive, so adding a healthy Sandoval and Posey mixed with a consistent Cabrera should make this team vastly improved on offense from last season.

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San Jose Sharks: Reasons Why the Team Is Playing Playoff Hockey

You can call it desperation, or you can call it panic, but the San Jose Sharks are playing terrific hockey right now.  It just happens to be at the exact right time, as well, as the Sharks are in an ever-changing playoff scenario with five other teams to make the NHL playoffs.


The trade of Jamie McGinn to the Avalanche for T.J. Galiardi and Daniel Winnik is not looking so good from the Sharks' angle, but both Winnik and Galiardi are starting to make significant progress in producing for this team.  Their added production would only further the Sharks' chances of making the playoffs.

However, neither one of the NHL Trade Deadline acquisitions are even a factor in why the Sharks are currently playing well and making a case for why they should be in the playoffs.  In fact, the reasons why the Sharks are playing so well have been on the team or have been characteristics of the team the entire season.



Martin Havlat

Who knew getting one of the team's best offensive players back would make such an impact, right?

Of course Havlat coming back was going to juice this team up.  When he went down with injury months ago, Ryane Clowe, Logan Couture and Havlat were the ultimate line that no team could stop.  Back again, Havlat makes that line better and this entire offense better.  He can move the puck like no one else on the Sharks can, and that has been a huge addition late in the season.


Team Chemistry

Hockey is a game of momentum, and nothing fuels the Sharks' chemistry on the ice more than just that.  Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Patrick Marleau have played together for what seems like forever and so have Clowe and Couture.  So when suddenly the team starts winning and momentum ensues, good things start to happen.

Again, Havlat is a major reason for that because of the Clowe, Couture and Havlat line that was so potent mid-season.  Now it seems Havlat has taken that chemistry to whatever line he plays on these days.  His game is awfully easy to play with on the ice.

Aside from those top lines, the bottom two have also played increasingly well over the past week or so, with Michal Handzus and Winnik clearly leading the way.  It was a consistent problem for the Sharks before the trade deadline.  Since then, the bottom six have produced on a consistent basis for San Jose.


Joe Thornton

The captain always has had that feel for the puck and making things happen, but it seems that his production has really picked up over the last 10 games.  Maybe it is because he is the captain and needs to lead that desperate and panicked attempt at making the playoffs. Whatever the reason, he is doing a great job of getting positive results from this team these days.

Thornton has two goals and 10 assists in his last 10 games.

His patience around the net is what differentiates himself from other players in this league, and his use of the body only furthers the development of the play.  With the chemistry he has developed with Pavelski, Marleau, Couture and Havlat (and whoever else he is playing with him these days), the Sharks continue to produce on both the power play and equal strength when Thornton is on the ice.


Todd McLellan's Line Changes

McLellan might have just saved his job with some of the personnel changes he has made late in the season, when lineups are supposed to be well intact.

Most notably, his changes to the bottom two lines have made the biggest difference in the last few games for this team.

The line of Winnik, Andrew Desjardins and Wingels has been tagged lethal over the past couple games, with Winnik scoring two clutch goals against the Bruins and Coyotes, followed by a goal from Desjardins on Monday.

They have obviously found some comfortability with each other.  Winnik is the big body of the line with somewhat of an offensive game, but most likely will hold down the fort on defense.  Also, Desjardins will play that scrappy role, which has made Wingels the scoring option on this line.

McLellan was searching for a spark to light up this team, and he may have just found it in his latest set of line changes.

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San Francisco 49ers: Josh Johnson Signing Sends Clear Message to Colin Kaepernick

It does not require much deep thinking to comprehend what a clear message the San Francisco 49ers' newest free agent signing sent on Thursday.

The 49ers signed their second free agent quarterback of the offseason, locking up former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Josh Johnson to a two-year deal.  The signing assumed to have
something to do with coach Jim Harbaugh's connections to him at the University of San Diego, as well as Johnson growing up in Oakland.

The signing also had a lot to do with other more important things.  Most notably, it had to do with the quarterback situation.

No, Johnson will not fight Alex Smith for the starting quarterback position in Week 1.  I am pretty sure last season's trip to the NFC Championship was enough for Smith to land that gig.

However, it is who sits behind Smith that is causing the biggest stir throughout the organization right now.  Who is the back-up quarterback?

In most cases, arguing about who the back-up quarterback is nearly pointless and poses zero discussion towards the actual success of this team heading forward.

However, the 49ers are a unique situation, and the Johnson signing gives us a clear insight into how the 49ers are thinking about their future under center.

Not sure what to make of #49ers signing QB Josh Johnson. My logic says they aren't sold on Kaepernick.

— Kyle Bonagura (@KyleBonagura) March 23, 2012

Until now, Colin Kaepernick was the quarterback in waiting and the next player to line-up under center.  But we have yet to see him either play in the NFL, nor see any inclination of just how good he is or possibly could be.

The 49ers' acquisition of Johnson on Thursday told us plain and simple -- Kaepernick is not the team's quarterback of the future, and he is definitely not NFL-ready.

The #49ers sign Josh Johnson. Let's face the facts they basically told Colin Kapernick he's a SaberCat.

— TheGreenRoomCSN (@TheGreenRoomCSN) March 23, 2012

Of course, it is hard to see how a quarterback coming out of Nevada and the pistol offense could become NFL-ready that quick.  It took Smith seven years, seven offensive coordinators and Harbaugh to help him get into a true NFL offense and away from the spread offense at Utah.

Kaepernick has the athleticism, strong arm and build to be an NFL quarterback, but the 49ers obviously see something with his accuracy or awareness in the pocket that turns them off.

So just in case, they brought in Johnson, a quarterback with a similar set of skills, just further along in his NFL progression.

The gut feeling with the acquisition is that at the best, the 49ers positioned themselves to have two athletic quarterbacks competing against one another and getting better in the process.  At the worst, San Francisco has zero faith that Kaepernick can one day become the franchise quarterback judging by the progress he has made so far.

With the 49ers' recent roster moves, it is safe to assume the latter.

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San Jose Sharks Control Their Own Destiny in Final Eight Games of the Season

So we know the San Jose Sharks have at least a little fire left in them.  A gritty and determined win against one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference will do that to a team, though, as the Sharks beat the Boston Bruins 2-1 on Thursday night at the HP Pavilion.


But as we look to the rest of the games this season, there is a clear idea that the Sharks must win, and win when it matters.

There are eight games left in the NHL season, and every game seems to be that much more important to the Sharks, who are in dire need of a break down the stretch to ease their way in the Western Conference playoffs.

The teams that stand in their way are the Dallas Stars, Calgary Flames, Phoenix Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings.

Put them in any order you want to, but including the Sharks, the six teams are separated by three points and are battling for three spots with eight games remaining.

One beat guy's guess: Scoping out the schedule ahead as #sjsharks likely need to go 6-3-0 to reach the post-season. See mercurynews.com/sports/ci_2023…

— David Pollak (@PollakOnSharks) March 22, 2012

For better or worse, the Sharks control their own destiny the rest of the season.

With seven of the eight remaining games against the Pacific division, and one against the playoff contending Avalanche, the Sharks hold their playoff hopes on their shoulders in a desperate attempt to make this season somewhat of a success.

However, desperation is exactly what the rest of this season will entail.  We finally saw a sense of that against the Bruins on Thursday night.  The urgency, the grit and determination were all there, and it was like the season finally clicked for this team that needed to be in desperation mode about three weeks ago.

The defense and hustle was great, the goaltending was what we expect from Antti Niemi in big games and the offense was getting shots to the net against a superb Boston defense.  It felt like the beginning of the season again, or last season at this time.  Whatever it felt like is how we should feel about this team because they are built to succeed this time of year.  It simply has not clicked this season.

One of the reasons for the sudden burst in productivity on the ice is Martin Havlat, who returned from injury and has provided speed and offense to a team in desperate need of a pick-me-up.  It is because of him that the Sharks are still in a good position to make the playoffs.

How?  I do not know.

This team has played so terrible over the last few weeks that they should not even have a chance to salvage their season, yet we see them in a late-season playoff push for the first time in what seems like forever.

The win against Boston came in a big game with playoff-type pressure.  If the Sharks can apply that type productivity against the Pacific division foes in these final eight games, then we should be seeing them slide their way into the playoffs.  But if this was simply the usual flash in the pan that we have become so accustomed to over the past couple months, then terrible things are bound to happen to this franchise at the conclusion of this season.

For now, they control their own destiny in these final two weeks.

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Golden State Warriors Must Attempt to Re-Acquire Lottery Pick in 2012 NBA Draft

The Golden State Warriors have reportedly been in talks with the Utah Jazz in regards to getting their first-round pick back for the 2012 NBA Draft.

Owner Joe Lacob said the team is confident they can re-acquire that pick and have been working with the Jazz for the last few months on a proposed deal.


The pick is the property of the Jazz (via New Jersey Nets) now, after the Warriors acquired Marcus Williams from the Nets in exchange for a conditional first-round draft pick.

The conditions surrounding a conditional draft pick are confusing, but the main point to understand is that the Warriors only re-acquire the pick if they finish with one of the top-7 picks in the 2012 NBA Draft.  Any pick after means the pick belongs to the Jazz.

However, this is a serious situation for the Warriors, one that Lacob knows can shape this team for the future.

Literally one day after he was booed by his own team's fans, Lacob is attempting to re-acquire a draft pick that he had no involvement in trading away.  It is not his mess, yet he is the one cleaning it up.

Where is Marcus Williams anyway?  And whoever thought that he was good enough to trade a first-round pick for?

The Chris Cohan regime, that's who.

Years later, he is still causing this franchise heartache.

The draft pick is significant in many ways for the Warriors.  The first is that the 2012 NBA Draft is perceived to be one of the deepest drafts in the last several years.  The players predicted to be selected within the first five picks of the draft are potentially franchise-type players with the ability to lead a team with the amount of talent they have.

Second, the Warriors need another lottery pick player that can help boost this team's talent on the roster.  The Monta Ellis trade for Andrew Bogut took a whole lot out of this team offensively, and a scorer within the first 10 picks of the draft could be useful in rounding this team out for next season.

Lacob knows that, or has been told how much this team needs a pick like this.  It may have even played into the logistics of trading a player like Ellis for an injured center that is likely out for the rest of the season.  Lacob never said the ownership wanted this team to tank for the rest of the season, but it was made particularly clear through that trade.

The best thing is that Lacob and the Warriors' front office are determined to make this happen and re-acquire that lost pick, saying "We think we can get our pick back" on Tuesday.  Even better, Golden State may have the goods to complete a trade between them and the Jazz.

Lacob on the Draft "We've had discussions with Utah and it isn't a done deal, but we think we have a good chance to get (our) pick back."

— KNBR (@KNBR) March 20, 2012

The Warriors acquired a first-round pick of their own in the Richard Jefferson deal with the San Antonion Spurs, and they also have two second round picks in their back pocket.

Contra Costa Times' Marcus Thompson III said the Warriors have no need for any more young players on their roster, so adding those additional draft picks would be of no use to them anyways.

Of course, we will not know the entirety of both the probable trade discussions, nor the destination of the draft pick until May, which is when we are sure to see some kind of a deal go down between the two teams.

A deal sending the Warriors' three 2012 draft picks and a boat-load of cash to the Jazz could pull this trade off.  The Jazz do not need another young player on their team either, however, this is a draft class for the ages.  If Lacob can pull one over on Utah, they might just save next season and set this franchise up for years to come.

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